Safe Harbour
by Underscored
Summary: Liasonish. What should have happened when Jason was injected with the sedative.


A/N: Okay, the HTML isn't working (e-mail me if you know why!), so I've done my best to get around it. I've been waiting a while to post this and the help people here haven't gotten back to me yet, so I hope you don't mind reading it like this, and I'll fix it as soon as possible! :)

This is what should logically have happened on Friday the 16th, after Carly injected Jason with the sedative. I wrote this with events that Guza and Pratt could have used without betraying their Journey love, while staying true to history XP. Thus, it isn't ideally Liason. This is my first fic. Hope you enjoy ;) .

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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Courtney spun back towards Cameron in the small hospital room and shook her head emphatically.

"You can *not* call the police."

Cameron stared at her incredulously, and stepped towards her, gesturing with his hand.

"Courtney, Jason could die out there."

"He would rather die than make things worse for Carly, but that's not going to happen because I'm going to find him." She grabbed her purse, all of the reasons she had for staying out of his life fleeing her mind as she tried to think of where he would go. He needed her, and she was the only one who could help him. She turned towards the door, wracking her brain. *Where would he go?*

"Courtney."

She turned back to Cameron, her mind far away and her foot tapping impatiently.

"He'll be acting on instinct. He'll go someplace safe, someplace with good associations." He smiled slightly, reluctant to help her.

She grinned in relief and barely registered his answering smile. *He always feels safe with me.* 

"I know where to find him."

~*~*~*~

Elizabeth stood on the docks, bundled in a coat, and looked up at the building that housed her studio, the room that had been her refuge, her escape. She had another studio now, in the home Ric had bought for them, but she had appreciated the freedom of having somewhere to get away when she needed it, and she was reluctant to pack up and leave the memories behind. Her mind drifted to Ric and she looked down, smiling, and made her way to the door.

~*~*~*~

Jason's mind was groggy, his body on auto pilot. He was so tired, and all he wanted was to sleep. His instincts were still active, however, and he knew he couldn't just lie down in the street, or he would die. He was inside now, yet still not at his destination. He knew he was headed somewhere safe, somewhere he could sleep in peace.

He stopped near the top of a flight of stairs and leaned heavily on the railing, his head hanging and his breathing ragged. He felt himself start to fall backwards and forced his grip on the railing to tighten. Pushing ahead, he raised his foot to climb the last step, and leaned on the door at the top. It swung open, and he went along for the ride, managing to stay on his feet. 

Jason shook his head, determined not to let the drug get the best of him. He focussed his eyes with some effort, and stared down the hall ahead of him, which seemed to lengthen as he looked on. He concentrated on crossing the last few steps to the door, and leaned his forehead against the cool glass, knocking without raising his hand. 

Not waiting for a response, he turned his back to the door and slid down to sit, unable to fight the drug in his system any longer, and finally drifting off to sleep.

~*~*~*~

Courtney hurried down the hall, checking her watch. Jason had been gone from Shadybrook for two hours. She hoped he hadn't gotten hurt, but she was confident that, if he was able, he would be at the loft. It was there that they had fallen in love.

She looked up as she reached the door, relieved to see it shut tight. She grabbed the door handle and frowned, finding it locked. *How would he remember to lock the door if he was totally out of it?* Maybe the drugs hadn't had as much effect as Cameron had thought.

Courtney pulled her key chain from her purse and selected the key that she hadn't used in months, inserting it into the lock. Straightening her shoulders, unsure what she would find within, she turned the key and pushed the door open.

"Jason?"

~*~*~*~

Elizabeth sighed as she pushed open the door at the top of the stairs, lost in memories of the place that had been her peace, her home. Of course, Ric wasn't pressuring her to give up the studio, but she knew that doing so would convince him that she trusted him, and their love.

She pushed some hair behind her ear as she looked up, readying herself to bid the studio farewell, and stopped in her tracks.

"Excuse me?" she called from where she stood, a number of yards from her door. The body of a man sat slumped against the door, his head down, his legs outspread. When the man didn't move, she took a few tentative steps forward and called again. "Excuse me?"

Taking a chance when she saw no reaction, Elizabeth stepped closer and crouched down at arm's length. "Oh, my God, Jason?" She reached out and lifted his head, biting her lip as she studied his face. She checked his pulse and released a pent up breath as she found it steady and slow. "Jason?" *What the hell is wrong with you?* 

She glanced down the hall and saw a man entering a door further down, giving them an odd look. "Ooh . . . " She was wracked with indecision, but finally searched in her purse and drew out her keys. "You can't stay out here."

She placed a hand behind his neck, and reached up with the other to unlock the door, turning the handle awkwardly and pushing it open. She quickly moved her other hand behind Jason's back so that he wouldn't fall backwards, and shuffled around him into the room. Slipping her hands under his arms, she pulled with all her might, protecting her stomach, and managed to get him over the threshold with some effort, setting his head down gently. Walking back around to shut the door, she stared down at Jason, lying immobile on the floor, his limbs splayed and his head to the side.

Elizabeth glanced from him to the couch and back again, finally just grabbing a cushion and sliding it under his head. She crouched beside him once more, and raised one of his eyelids, noting the dilated pupil. "Jesus, Jason, how did you end up *here*?"

~*~*~*~

Courtney walked through the living room and into the bedroom, then through to the bathroom.

"Jason?" She stood in the middle of the loft and turned slowly around in a circle, searching for any sign that he had been here at all. Seeing nothing, she sat down heavily on the couch, and rested her head in her hands. A tear dropped onto her thigh, and she angrily wiped her eyes, listing in her mind all the places Jason would feel safe. *This wasn't the only option,* she told herself. He was out there, and she would find him.

She stood and walked to the door, then took one last look around the loft as she decided where to go first. *How pathetic is it that I have no one to call?* she thought as the list in her mind kept growing. Suddenly, a name came to her, someone who had just approached her about being friends. Courtney couldn't believe that she was going to turn to this person of all people, but she needed to find Jason.

As she closed the door to the loft behind her, she pulled out her cell phone.

~*~*~*~

Elizabeth was still crouched by Jason's head when his eyelids began to flutter, and she immediately reached for his hand. "Jason? Come on, Jase, wake up."

His eyes opened fully and he stared up at the ceiling for a second before he jerked upright. Elizabeth snatched her hand back as he pulled his arms forward to catch his head, which kept moving forward after he meant for it to stop.

"Whoa." His voice was low, and Elizabeth wondered again what was wrong with him.

"Jason?" His head turned quickly toward her voice, and he stared at her, confused.

"Elizabeth?"

"Uh . . . yeah. Are you okay, Jason?" She stood as he tried to get to his knees, and grabbed his arm to help him stand. "Why don't you sit down?" She noticed as he shut his eyes and stood still for a second, as if his head was spinning. When he opened his eyes again, she guided him slowly over to the couch, and he fell heavily onto it, resting his head on the back. 

He didn't even try to speak for a few minutes, then raised his head and sought her out where she was perched on a stool a few feet away, eyes still cloudy with bewilderment.

"You want to tell me what I'm doing here?" His voice sounded lost, and she knew he had to be out of it to let any vulnerability show.

She raised an eyebrow at him. "You're telling me you don't know?"

He narrowed his eyes, then shut them in an attempt to remember. "No . . . "

Both eyebrows rose at that, then knit together. "I found you passed out against my door."

~*~*~*~

Courtney sighed, and rolled her eyes as she pulled the door to Kelly's open. When she had tried to call Elizabeth, she had realized that she didn't have a number for her. She didn't even know where she lived. *Nice start, Court. She offers friendship and you don't even ask for her number.*

She didn't see Elizabeth working or seated, and rushed up to the counter where Penny was standing, waiting for new customers to enter.

"Are you okay, Courtney? You aren't scheduled for a shift today, are you?" Penny looked at her, a concerned expression on her face.

Courtney paused to catch her breath and compose herself, mentally berating herself for panicking. *He'll be fine. But no one can know what's going on.* "I'm fine, but I was looking for Elizabeth. Is she working today, do you have any idea where she could be?"

Penny looked at her strangely. "She's not supposed to work today, but we have a number for her. Do you want - " She broke off as Courtney snatched the paper from her hand, and nearly ran back towards the door. *Calm down!* her mind screamed at her, and she broke off midstride, turning back to call out a "Thank you!" to Penny. She forced herself to walk out at a normal pace, then stepped around the wall of the courtyard and pulled out her cell phone.

~*~*~*~

Jason's head was foggy, and he could barely form a clear thought as he stared back at Elizabeth. "What?" He squeezed his eyes shut tight, pressing hard on his temples in an attempt to remember how he had ended up at Elizabeth's studio, of all places. He hadn't been there in over a year. 

A sudden, precise thought entered his mind. *Carly needs me.* He leapt up from the couch, only to sink right back down as a terrifying wave of dizziness washed over him.

"Carly." His voice was weak as he fought against the darkness that reclaimed his mind.

~*~*~*~

Elizabeth saw Jason's eyes clear for a second, and when he sprang up, she moved quickly to support him. He fell back to the couch before she could reach him, and she heard him speak Carly's name before his eyes closed and his breathing steadied.

"Jason?" She leaned over and shook him slightly. "Jason, you need to wake up now. What am I supposed to do with you?" She dug her cell phone out of her purse and sank into the couch beside him, close to the arm. Hesitating, she decided to call Sonny rather than try to track down Courtney. She glanced over at Jason, and, seeing him still unconscious, jumped when her cell phone rang. She answered it quickly, and was surprised to hear Courtney's voice on the other end.

~"Elizabeth?"~ Her voice was panicked and Elizabeth realized that she must have been looking for Jason.

"Courtney, I'm so glad you called! You need -" Liz broke off as she heard Jason's voice sound weakly.

"No."

"Can you hold on a second?" She turned to Jason and was surprised to see his eyes half open, watching her. She pushed the mute button on her phone. "Jason?"

"Don't involve her." His voice was soft and bitter.

She looked at the phone in her hand for a second before turning her eyes back to him. "Jason, she's your wife."

"She doesn't want to be involved." He blinked slowly, shaking his head as though to rid it of cobwebs.

"She's worried about you." Elizabeth softened her tone as she noticed the unguarded sadness on his face. "I need to tell her where you are."

"She doesn't want to be involved." He repeated himself, his voice losing strength. He blinked once more before his eyes closed completely.

"Jason? You *have* to stop doing that." She shook his shoulder, and when he failed to respond, she bit her lip, un-muting the phone. "Courtney?"

~"Elizabeth! Listen, I really -"~

"I'm sorry, I'm really busy right now. Can we talk later? Thanks for calling though." She spoke quickly and pressed the end button before Courtney had a chance to respond, then turned the phone off in case she tried to call again. "Wake up, Jason!" She nearly growled in frustration as she watched him sleep, his face peaceful, oblivious to everything. "I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt and not do anything until you wake up again." She shook her head and sighed. "You'd better be grateful."

~*~*~*~

Courtney stared at her phone for a full minute after Elizabeth hung up on her. *What was that about?* She sighed loudly and pushed the hair off her forehead, then jolted as she realized that she had recognized the voice she had heard in the background on the phone. Her eyes widened and her hands clenched in anger. *What the hell is Jason doing with Elizabeth?* She turned and strode towards the docks before freezing in her tracks, tears filling her eyes as another thought struck her. *And why doesn't he want me to know?*

~*~*~*~

Elizabeth continued to watch Jason sleep, jumping to her feet and beginning to pace as he remained entirely motionless. She turned on the radio, and laughed when the song playing was Dido's *All You Want*.

~I'd like to watch you sleep at night~

~to hear you breathe by my side~

~And although sleep leaves me behind~

~there's nowhere I'd rather be.~

"I'm sorry Jason, but there certainly are some places I would rather be." She shook her head and flipped the radio off. Elizabeth walked over the window and looked out at the warehouse, looking back at Jason every few seconds. She walked back to the couch, restless as she awaited his waking. She was just about to give up and return Courtney's call when a loud pounding sounded at the door.

She crossed the room, glancing back at Jason. Raising the corner of the blind on the door, she came face to face with Courtney, and jumped back. Placing a hand over her racing heart, she turned apologetically to Jason's seemingly lifeless form. "I'm sorry, Jase, but she is your wife, and I'm not. Obviously. What I mean is, she's responsible for you." Elizabeth shook her head at herself, and quickly opened the door.

"Elizabeth, is Jason here?" Courtney blew past her into the room, instantly zeroing in on Jason and rushing over to him. "Jason?" Seeing him unconscious, she looked back accusingly at Elizabeth.

"He woke up a couple times, but he's been asleep for about twenty minutes now. What -"

Courtney interrupted her, wanting to know only one thing. "Why didn't you tell me he was here when I called? I've been searching all over for him."

Elizabeth looked away, to Jason's sleeping form. "He asked me not to." She looked back at Courtney, and felt worse when she saw the crushed look on her face. "I'm sorry, I didn't know what to do. He just showed up at my door. What happened to him?"

Courtney sighed and rubbed her forehead, as though trying to find a way to put a delicate matter into words. "It's complicated, but he was . . . accidentally injected with a sedative." Her eyes filled with tears and she furiously blinked them back. "Cameron said he'd go somewhere he felt safe, I just . . . I didn't expect him to come *here*."

Elizabeth nodded sympathetically. "Well, he stayed here a couple times when he was hurt or in trouble, so I guess instinct led him back." 

Courtney nodded curtly and turned toward the window, trying to stave off the onslaught of tears. 

"Courtney . . . " Elizabeth looked up to the ceiling for strength before bringing her eyes back down to focus on Courtney's back. "Look, I don't know why he came to my studio instead of trying to find you, but I do know that Jason . . . he loves you." 

Courtney turned back towards her, and nodded again, offering a tiny smile. "I know he does. And I know that this is totally hypocritical considering I've been dating, but . . . " She rolled her eyes and focussed on a point just over Elizabeth's left shoulder. "I . . . I can't stand to think of him with another woman." She half-turned back toward the couch and looked at Elizabeth out the corner of her eye. "Especially with the . . . the history you guys have."

Elizabeth smiled sadly, staring into the space over the couch. She was drawn back into memories of the "history" Courtney spoke of, but turned her thoughts instead to Ric, and a happier smile spread across her face. She brought her mind back to the present and sighed quietly.

"Courtney . . . " She shook her head with a mirthless chuckle. "Believe me, whatever history we have is exactly that . . . it's in the past, and we've both moved on. I don't think you have to worry about something happening between us." She focussed on Courtney, and gave her a genuine smile. "Jason is loyal. He's not going to cheat on you, not as long as he believes you have a chance."

~"Are you asking me if we still have a chance?"~

~"When you left, you said we didn't."~

"But then all bets are off." She muttered under her breath.

"Excuse me?" Courtney looked inquiringly at her.

"Nothing, sorry." Elizabeth smiled again and laughed at herself. "You should get him home." She gestured towards Jason, who was still sleeping like a contented baby.

Courtney smiled gratefully. "Thanks. I'm glad he was here rather than on the street somewhere. And thanks for the talk. I guess I needed that."

"No problem. But, Courtney . . . " She winced and hoped that what she was about to say wouldn't ruin whatever rapport they had going here. "If you keep pushing him away . . . he will try to move on."

Courtney grimaced, pulling her cell phone out of her purse. "I know. I have to make a decision." She sighed, and held up her phone. "I'm just going to call Max and see if he can help me out here. Do you mind him coming in?"

"Not at all. I guess it would be a bit difficult for you to get him home on your own." Elizabeth laughed with Courtney, remembering the difficulty she had had just getting him into the room.

Courtney walked over to the couch, and hesitated before tuning back to Elizabeth. "Is it all right if I sit down?"

Elizabeth nodded. "Go ahead."

Courtney settled gently next to Jason, watching his face as she did so. He shifted slightly, but didn't wake, and she dialled her phone. "Max? I found him."

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There you go, hope you liked it :) . I may be adding to it, or it may just be a one shot. I also may write my ideal Liason version XP lol. I know a lot of people were bothered that Jason went to the loft rather than the number of other places he had been safe in the past. Okay, let me know what you thought :) .


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